Game apparatus



Patented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- .rzizizfztzrlfzfitz?"5:23;.;:::.,,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved game apparatus and more particularly to an improved construction of game board by the use of which,

7 Junction with a plurality of playing pieces for the different players and having spaces or openings for receiving the playing pieces and lines between the openings designating the paths of movement of the playing pieces from opening to opening whereby the players move or Jump their playing pieces in turn, each from a starting position or area to a finishing position or area across a common combat area or playing field.

In games of this character where the direction of movement of the playing pieces of all the players converges generally toward a central area of the board, congestion invariably occurs at the center of the board, frequently resulting in an impass. It is a particular aim of the invention to therefore provide means forming a part of the game board for preventing congestion of the playing pieces at the center of the playing field.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide corresponding finishing positions for the various players, each provided with openings or spaces, for receiving the playing pieces, exceeding in number the playing pieces of each of the players, and designated by different values so that the scores of the diiferent players will vary depending upon the positions of the playing pieces of each player at the end of the game.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game board constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 2--2 of Figure 1, and 4 Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the playing pieces.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like views, Ill designates generally a game board, constructed in accordance with the invention, and

which is provided with a depending supporting field or combat area I5 projects a starting and finishing position or zone It, which is likewise formed of the openings or spaces I3 and the network or lines I4. It will thus be obvious that the surface I2 is provided with six equally spaced zones or positions It including three pairs of zones or positions which are disposed with the individual zones or positions of each pair in opposed, spaced relationship relatively to one another. As will hereinafter be more fully described, each of the zones or positions I6 constitutes a starting zone or position and likewise a finishing zone or position with the starting and finishing positions I6 disposed in opposed rela-. tionship to one another. The opposed zones or positions It are connected by pairs of red lines II, the positions or zones Ii of each of said pairs being connected by one pair of lines II. The lines ll of each pair, are disposed in substantially parallel relationship to one another and each connects with a plurality of the openings or spaces I3. The pairs of lines I! intersect adjacent the center of the playing field or combat area I5 and individual lines ll of the different pairs intersect with one another at six of the openings or spaces I3 which form a circle of openings or spaces I3 around an opening I8 which is centrally disposed in said circle and within the star formed by the pairs of lines II, in the center of the playing field I5. A red circle of ring I9 is inscribed on the surface I2 around the openings or spaces I3, which form the circle about the opening or space I8, to combine with the star formed by ing or space I8.

The positions or zones I6 each comprises four rows of openings or spaces I3, the openings of each 'of which rows are numbered, as indicated 5 at 20, to designate diflerentvaluesofthe different openings. The first, or inner row of'op'en I or corresponding parts throughout the difierent ings I3, of each of the zones or positions IS,

an elevated comprises four openings I3, which are designated, from left to right, by the numerals "3," "2," 4" and 3, respectively, the next or second row, which contains five openings I3, are marked from left to right by the numerals 6, 4, "5," "2" and "6," respectively, the third ro which contains four openings l3, are designated by the numerals 5," 3. "4 and 5, reading from left to right, and the fourth or outer row, comprising three openings I3, are designated from left to right "7, "5 and 7-. The corresponding openings I3 of the different positions or zones I6 are designated by corresponding numerals, as illustrated in Figure 1.

The board is adapted to be used in conjunction with from two to six sets of playing pieces, each of which playing pieces is preferably in the form of a sphere or marble 2|, which is sized so that it can be readily lodged in or removed from the openings I3. Each of the sets of playing pieces comprises nine playing pieces or marbles 2|, and the playing pieces of the different sets are preferably distinctively colored or otherwise distinctively marked so that the playing pieces 2| of the different sets can be readily distinguished from one another.

The game, for which the game board It is adapted for use, may be played by two, three, four, five or six players, each of whom selects a set of nine playing pieces 2| and a position or zone I6. The position or zone I6, selected by each player, constitutes his or her starting position and in order to be prepared to begin play of the game each player places his or her nine playing pieces in the nine openings I3 of the inner and second row of his or her starting position or zone IS. The players play in turn, beginning with any player and continuing in order clockwise around the game board ID. A play constitutes a move of a playing piece 2| from an opening I3 to an adjacent, unoccupied opening I3 along a line I4, or may constitute a jump with a playing piece 2| from an opening I3, along a line I4 over an adjacent opening I3, which is occupied by a playing piece 2|, to a next adjacent opening |3 in a straight line, or may include a plurality of such jumps over alternately occupied openings I3, and in the latter case the difierent jumps need not be made in a straight line. A contestant may jump his or any of his opponents playing pieces 2| and the playing pieces which are jumped are not removed from the board; The aim of each contestant is to move his playing pieces from his starting position or zone Hi to the zone or position I6, which is opposite thereto and which constitutes his finishing position or zone. However, the game is not concluded by a player moving all of his nine playing pieces 2| to his finishing zone or position I6, as it is the aim of each player to position his playing pieces 2| in the eight openings I3 of his finishing position I6 which are designated by the numerals 5, 6 and "7, and one of the openings designated 4, in order to tally the highest possible score, and the game is not concluded until this objective is accomplished by one of the contestants. In order to prevent the playing pieces from becoming congested at the center of the board, the lines H are provided. It will be noted that a pair of the lines H extend from the openings designated 2 and 4 of they inner or first row of each player's starting position I6 to the corresponding openings of his finishing position I6, and these red lines I'I each cross four openings I3 in the playing field I5.

As seen in Figure 1, the openings I! which are crossed by the lines I'I are substantially further apart than the openings connected by the lines I4 so that each move along a line H covers a substantially greater distance than a move along a line I4 and this is likewise true in regard to jumps. In fact, a playing piece may be moved from the forward row of openings of a player's starting position It to the forward row of openings of his finishing position It in exactly half the moves required along the lines I4, if a player follows a line II with the playing piece. A player may jump one or a plurality of his or his opponents playing pieces 2| at each jump along a line H, or may make a plurality of jumps in a straight line along a line H. Where a playing piece 2| is jumped over a plurality of other playing pieces, at one jump, the playing pieces jumped must be in contiguous openings I3 along a line H. In this way, it will be obvious, that the playing pieces 2| are gotten away from the center portion of the field I5 more quickly to avoid congestion. To still further insure against congestion at the center of the field I5, the distinctively designated opening I8 at the center of the field or area I5 is provided. A player who succeeds in lodging one of his playing pieces 2| in the opening I8 wins two additional free plays or turns which must be taken with the same playing piece 2| so that this playing piece is advanced away from the center of the playing field I5, and consequently, at the completion of each player's turn the opening I8 is unoccupied.

The player first accomplishing the objective, previously described, required for completing the game, will score a total of 50 points. If this player has had one more turn than some of the other players, such players are given another play and may therefore succeed in tallying a maximum score of 50 points, in which case the first player totalling this score is declared the winner. The other players will then total their scores by totalling the values of the openings I3, of their finishing positions IS, in which their playing pieces 2| are lodged and counting "3 additional to their score for each of their playing pieces which is not in their finishing positions I6 when the game is concluded. It will thus be obvious that a number of games can be played and the total score for each player for each game totalled to decide the winner by the greatest gross score and obviously it is possible that the player having the greatest total score for all the games need not necessarily be the player who has won the most games.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A game board for use in conjunction with a plurality of playing pieces for each player, comprising a plurality of zones constituting starting and finishing positions for the playing pieces of the different players, the starting and finishing positions for each player being located at opposed points of the board, a combat area, disposed between and common to all the starting and finishing positions, for separating the respective starting and finishing positions, said starting and finishing positions and combat area being provided with equidistant spaces, for receiving the playing pieces, connected by a network of lines constituting lines of movement of the playing pieces, all of the lines of movement aaeacoa being diagonally disposed relatively to the respective starting and finishing positions, and

the distances between the spaces of the other lines.

2. A game board for use in conjunction with a plurality'of playing pieces for each player, comprising a plurality of zones constituting starting and finishing positions for the playing pieces of the different players, the starting and V finishing positions for each player being located at opposed points of the board, a combat area, disposed between and common to all the starting and finishing positions, for separating the respective starting and finishing positions, said starting and finishing positions and combat area being provided with equidistant spaces, for

receiving the playing pieces, connected by a network of lines constituting lines of movement of the playing pieces, all of the lines of movement being diagonally disposed relatively to the respective starting and finishing positions, means for reducing congestion of the playing pieces at the center of the combat area, said means comprising a plurality of distinctive straight lines between the respective starting and finishing areas and which connect with certain of the spaces, the distances between the spaces located thereon being substantially greater than the distances between the spaces on the other lines, and a distinctively marked centrally located space, whereby the playing pieces landing thereon will be entitled to additional moves.

3. A game apparatus comprising a game board for use with sets of playing pieces for the various players, said board including a centrally disposed playing field, starting and finishing positions corresponding in position and shape and located on each of the sides of the playing field, the respective starting and finishing positions being oppositely arranged relatively to one another, said starting and finishing positions and playing field being provided with equidistant openings, connected by a networkiof lines constituting lines of movement for the playing pieces between the openings, all of said lines being ar: ranged diagonally of ,the respective starting and finishing positions, and means for reducing the congestion of the playing pieces at the center of the playing field, comprising distinctively marked direct lines of movement between the respective starting and finishing positions and which 'connect with certain of said openings, and the distances betwen the openings located on the direct lines of movement being substantially greater than the distances between the openings on the other, diagonal lines of movement.

JOHN H. BOLLENBACH. 

